


Vignette--Letter

by wheel_pen



Series: Viridian Mal [6]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fish out of Water, Gen, Imprinting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-14
Updated: 2013-04-14
Packaged: 2017-12-08 11:29:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/760840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheel_pen/pseuds/wheel_pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trip tries to write a letter home. Mal interferes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vignette--Letter

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Viridians appear human, but are actually aliens who imprint on other people (Viridian or otherwise) and form a bond with them. They also live their entire life cycle in about six Earth years.
> 
> 2\. In each series, a different character is a Viridian, who was raised by mean Klingons on an outpost. An Enterprise crewmember is captured by the Klingons and they inadvertently form a bond with the Viridian, who helps them escape. Then they return to rescue the Viridian and bring them aboard the Enterprise. The Viridian homeworld is contacted and the Enterprise crew learn the Viridian will most likely die if they are sent away. So they end up staying on the Enterprise, and the crewmember has to adjust.
> 
> 3\. The bad words are censored. That’s just how I do things.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this AU. I own nothing and appreciate the chance to play in this universe.

            "…so then T'Pol was like, 'I do not believe that is the most logical course of action,' and all of a sudden, Jon's startin' to flake out on me, when he practically _promised_ he would—"

            "Who are you talking to?"

            Trip rolled his eyes. "Computer, pause recording. I'm writing a letter to my mom, Mal." He glanced over at the man emerging from the bathroom. "And at least grab a towel, if you're not going to put any clothes on."

            "I'm still wet. I don't like to put clothes on when I'm wet."

            "Hence, the towel," Trip repeated pointedly. "Computer, continue recording. Where was I? Oh yeah, so like I said, Jon had been real clear, we were gonna do that basic, critical maintenance task as soon as we got into orbit—"

            "You mean purging the impulse manifolds?"

            Trip sighed. "Computer, pause recording." He turned to look at Mal, who was still standing naked in the middle of Trip's quarters, but drying his hair with a towel. "I'm making a _recording_ , Mal. Every time you interrupt, I'm gonna have to edit those comments out later." He faced the screen again. "And, I'm not supposed to give _that_ much detail about what we do out here. Besides which, my mom wouldn't have a clue what 'purging the impulse manifolds' meant." He paused a moment to read over what he'd recorded already.

            "Have you been telling your mom about _me_?" Mal asked curiously.

            "Nah, hardly anything to tell," Trip denied dryly. "Computer, continue recording. It's not like T'Pol's an engineer, you know? I mean, I'm not saying I know everything in the universe about engineering—"

            "I think you do, Trip!"

            Trip gritted his teeth and continued speaking. "—but I _am_ the Chief Engineer on the ship, and I just gotta say, on an engineering matter, why would the _Science Officer_ 's opinion carry more weight than mine? Just because she throws out the word 'logic'—"

            "I thought that was very rude of her, as well."

            "—just because she says something is 'illogical' Jon gets all worked up about it, he either has to get all defensive and do something stupid, or he'll be like, 'Hey, that's a good point, T'Pol, Trip, you're just dumb'—"

            "I've noticed that about Captain Archer, too."

            Trip spun around in his chair. "Mal! I am not talking to you! I am talking to the computer! Which is recording me! For my mom! Okay?" He frowned. "And dry off with the towel so you can put some clothes on."

            "I'm air-drying," Mal protested. "Anyway, I don't see why it matters so much that I don't have any clothes on. It doesn't bother me. Does it bother you, Trip?"

            "Just a teensy bit," Trip told him. "And what if someone came to the door, huh? You'd probably just lounge around in your birthday suit in front of the Captain or Marcus, wouldn't you?"

            "What's a _birthday suit_?"

            "It means—naked, Mal. No clothes on. Like when you were born."

            "How do you know what I was wearing when I was born?" Mal inquired, truly curious. " _I_ don't even know."

            "Never mind," Trip decided. He turned back to the desk. "Computer, cont—" Then he sighed as he realized he had forgotten to turn the recording _off_. "You know what, Ma, I'm just gonna leave this little exchange in the letter, so you can see what I have to deal with every day."

            "Hello, Trip's mom! I just want you to know how smart and clever Trip is, and he lets me sleep in the bed with him, and he lets me bring him coffee! I am sure you are such a good mother, you didn't let him be born with no clothes on!"

            "Mal. Get dressed."

            "Oh. Alright."

            "That's Mal for you, Ma. Now what was I sayin' about Jon? Oh yeah…"


End file.
